


A Wizard's First Chance

by Pass_Me_The_Vodka



Series: We Aren't Who You Thought We Were [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark Harry, Dark Harry Potter, Dark Magic, F/F, F/M, Indian Harry Potter, Indian James Potter, M/M, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Minor Character Death, Nice Malfoy Family (Harry Potter), Person of Color Harry Potter, Person of Color James Potter, Slow Burn, Slytherin Harry Potter, Slytherin Hermione Granger, Slytherin Pride, Slytherin Ron Weasley
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:08:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21913444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pass_Me_The_Vodka/pseuds/Pass_Me_The_Vodka
Summary: Hari has always had ambitions. His relatives had tried to beat them out of him, but he's a wizard now. He wants to be the greatest wizard there ever was, no matter what it takes.Hermione has never been popular, and she doesn't want to be. But she's fiercely intelligent, and her cunning will take her anywhere. And teach her enemies exactly what a 'mudblood' can do.Ron has been the least important in his family ever since he can remember. He wasn't a girl, or a twin, and he wasn't too responsible either. He had no choices, except for one that shocked his relatives and immortalised himself in his family history.Draco is a boy raised in prejudice, but he learns to let go of that when he meets a trio as Slytherin and proud as he is, and who have the ambition and cunning of a true Malfoy. The trio may consist of a half-blood, a muggle-born, and a blood traitor, but they are powerful allies and he knows an opportunity when he sees one.Voldemort does not face a martyr and his friends.He faces the dark itself.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Series: We Aren't Who You Thought We Were [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1578352
Comments: 45
Kudos: 359





	1. Humble Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few warnings:  
> Yes, Hari, Ron, and Hermione are dark in this. I don't condone murder, blackmail, etc., but I thought it might be cool to write a fic about Dark v.s. Dark, instead of the usual Light v.s. Dark.   
> I wrote the Malfoy family as nice, but kind of selective in their niceness. And also, James and Lily are really only in it for the first chapter and flashbacks, but I love them so I threw them in the tags. I Also love the Indian Potters headcanon, so I worked that in, but I am in no way saying anything against Indian people even though Hari is a dark character. Also, abuse warning and obviously a lot of dark stuff, so if you are pretty sensitive, you might not want to read. I swear a ton in this as well, so warning for that.  
> I don't think there will be direct sex scenes, but if there are I'll warn you, and there will definitely be flirting. And there are multiple relationships, but they are all way in the future. Sorry if you don't like my ships. Yes, there are lgbtqiap+ relationships, so don't read just to tell me you're homophobic.   
> And of course, I will kill characters, though I don't know which ones. I made Dumbledore manipulative because that's how he always seemed to me in the books. And surprise! There will be Regulus in this series, but I won't tell you more than that.   
> «–» indicates a switch in time, whether it's a time skip or flashback/memory. I will also use it for dreams.  
> And if I make any grammatical errors, please tell me. And I always love criticism if it's actually constructive. But please consider that I am writing this on a kindle. Enjoy!

Lily bounced her toddler in her arms, smiling down at his sleepy face. She heard a quiet knock at the door and sat down on the rocking chair so she could focus on talking to her husband instead of just grinning at her son.  
"Come in," she called softly. The door opened to her husband smirking like the absolute dork he was. His hazel eyes crinkled at the sight of her and she melted. Lily loved her husband so much, and she knew the feeling was mutual. He walked toward her and knelt down by her side, gazing at their child lovingly. James pushed Hari's messy black hair out of his eyes. Hari gurgled quietly at the touch and closed his striking green eyes.  
"I still can't believe we're actually parents," James said happily. His wife laughed and kissed his black curls. He looked up at her with nothing but a fierce love in his naturally sharp features.  
"It's been over a year James, you better get used to it soon. You know, he looks exactly like you when his eyes are closed. He has that same sharp nose."   
"Well, his skin is a lot lighter than mine, and he definitely has your face shape. And even as a baby he's still so graceful. You can't say he got that from me." Lily laughed again. Everybody knew how clumsy James was.  
"True," she conceded, "but he got that mop on his head from you as well," she said teasingly. James chuckled and rolled his eyes.  
"Har har." It was true that James's hair was a lion's mane without Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, but Hari unfortunately didn't inherit his curls. Just the mess. He stood up and took his son from Lily's arms and rocked him slowly in the light of the crescent moon. His expression turned sad after Hari fell asleep and he had put him in his cradle. Lily noticed the change of mood in her husband and immediately understood. Sighing sadly, she stood and wrapped her arms around him.  
"I miss them too." He rested his head on her shoulder.  
"I wonder what they're doing right now. I hope Moony's okay. I wasn't able to be with him this full moon. And he was still living in Siri's apartment when Peter last updated us. I wish they all could be here. Peter is doing a decent job at updating us and sending messages, but it's just not the same."  
Lily didn't reply, but James was grateful. He didn't need advice, and there was nothing he could do anyways. His wife knew that. So she just listened. But the almost soundless shattering of wards startled him from his thoughts. James broke the hug and had his wand out in an instant.  
"Did you hear that?" James nodded, his heart beating much too fast and his eyes starting to water. Peter had betrayed them?   
"Stay here and protect Hari." He kissed Lily and turned towards the door.  
"No! I can't lose you." He smiled sadly.  
"I love you and Hari. Maybe I can stop him." He opened the door as she reached for him. A cruel laugh echoed in the house. "Lily, take Hari and go! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"  
"James-" Her sentence was cut off by the door closing and immediately locking. Lily rushed towards the door, but once she heard those words she felt paralyzed. James couldn't be that stupid. Yet she had seen the telltale green light from under the door. Her heart raced as she rushed towards Hari, stopping in front of his cradle just in time to block him from shards of the wooden door. Voldemort entered and Lily screamed. She couldn't remember when she had started crying.   
"Step aside," Voldemort ordered.  
"Not Hari! Please, have mercy! Have mercy!" Lily felt so helpless and weak. She looked around for her wand, but she was cornered. The roar in her ears was louder than anything else. She sobbed, the tears blurring the flash of green light before everything faded to black.

«–»

Harry ducked under the teacher's gaze instinctively, earning a disapproving look. He scrawled his name on the warm-up worksheet and realized he was the first one done. Standing, he shuddered at the glare Dudley gave him, but he walked to the front of the room to turn it in. Ms. Thomas raised her eyebrows in surprise.  
"I'm done madam. What should I do until the lesson begins?" Harry chose his words carefully, knowing full well that the Dursleys had made him out to be a delinquent. Her eyes narrowed at him. She was probably suspicious.  
"Read a book." He nodded gratefully and walked back to his desk.  
The class passed in relative normalcy. Dudley and some of his friends stared daggers at him all class. At lunch, Harry rushed to get outside, knowing if they caught him he was in for a beating. He climbed up into one of the big oaks, the dense branches mostly hiding him from view.  
"Hello." Harry nearly jumped out of the tree at the unexpected voice. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He stared at the blushing boy.   
"Hello. May I ask what you're doing up here?" The boy smiled cheekily.  
"You first."   
"I'm hiding from my cousin," Harry said nervously. The boy nodded. Most of the school knew Dudley, his gang, and his freaky little cousin.  
"Sorry to hear that. I'm exploring. Wanna come?" Harry bit his lip.  
"I don't even know your name. And besides, are you sure we won't get in trouble? Or run into Dudley?"  
"I'm sure we won't. I've done this a million times. And my name's Marco." Marco held out his through with a wide grin.  
Harry took it.


	2. The Circle of Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abuse warning, but no other spoilers. Also, the beginning of this Chapter is set about a week after Hari meets Marco. And yes, I am spelling it the Westernized way, Harry, while he's with his muggle relatives. Don't question me.

Harry crawled through the bushes of his Aunt Petunia's garden, his friend Marco right behind him. Marco pushed him forward on accident, eager to keep moving.  
"Sorry Harry. I didn't mean it." Harry grinned at Marco.  
"I'm fine. This is fun." Marco smiled and turned a slight pink. Harry laughed at the sight of him, bits of plant stems and flowers stuck in his usually neat blond hair. The two of them had tried to make a daisy crown, but they had no idea how, so It really ended up a mess. Harry turned around to face his friend and frowned jokingly at him. "Now, now, Mr. Marco, you absolutely cannot keep your hair like that," he said in a funny old lady voice. Marco laughed, his dark eyes twinkling as sunshine filtered through the bushes. Harry painstakingly plucked out the plant parts one by one and fixed his friend's hair.  
Suddenly, Harry heard the voice of his cousin and panicked. He looked at Marco with an intense worry and fear in his sharp features, Marco reached to hug him. The boys held onto each other tightly, trying not to make a sound. Dudley was alone, which was strange, but Harry didn't question it too much. He shifted and froze when a twig underneath him snapped. Marco's eyes widened and Harry covered his mouth immediately. He would not let his only friend get hurt.  
"Harry-" Marco mumbled under Harry's hand, but instantly cut off. He didn't want to be heard by Dudley, who was now stalking towards the bush, his hand already in a fist.  
"Stay here," Harry whispered, "and be quiet. I'll be back." Harry crawled out of the bush. A smirk appeared on his cousin's face.  
"Oh, my mom's gonna be so mad. The garden's her pride and joy. Anyone in there with you, freakshow?" Marco gasped, tears blurring his vision. Harry simply shook his head.  
"Of course not, why would anyone be friends with a weakling like me?" Dudley seemed satisfied with that answer. He swiftly punched Harry in the stomach.  
And then it really began.

«–»

Harry picked himself up off the ground. He groaned as he felt his insides twist. The cut on his forehead dripped blood down his face and onto his clothes, but at least Dudley hadn't broken his arm again.  
"Harry? Is he gone?" Harry sat next to the bush.  
"Yeah," he croaked out. Marco crawled out and gasped, the tears flooding harder down his already tear-stained cheeks.  
"Oh my gosh Harry, we need to get you to a doctor!" Harry's arms shot out to prevent his friend from running for help.  
"Marco, I can't. He's right. I'm a freak. You need to go home, and I need to do my chores-"  
"Harry, I can't just leave-"  
"You can't be friends with me anymore." Marco's heart stopped. Harry's sharp features looked so serious and intense. His normally bright green eyes had darkened with pain.  
"What?" Harry's friend managed. Harry tried not to cry, but a tear slipped down his cheek anyway.  
"We can't be friends, Marco. I won't let you get hurt. And I don't even know what why you became friends with me anyways. I'm a freak."  
"Harry-" Harry rose his hand and Marco stopped talking. Harry sighed. He hadn't wanted it to come to this.  
"Marco, stop crying." Marco rubbed his eyes and cheeks. There was no obvious signs he had cried, as a lot of the redness could be attributed to fighting. Now for the real trick. Harry made the most scared face he could and ran into the house. Marco followed, frustrated at Harry's antics. Harry ran straight into Petunia, who gripped his collar roughly. Marco skidded to a stop.  
"Who is this, freak?" Harry looked down in fake shame.  
"He caught me in your bushes Aunt Petunia, so he chased me out." Petunia slapped him.  
"Stupid boy! What were you doing in my prize hedge?" She threw him to the ground. "Thank you, boy, for bringing him to me," she said to Marco, who looked horrified. Petunia looked at him with suspicion.  
"Shocking behavior. I can't believe it," he covered up smoothly. Just then, Dudley ran down the stairs. Petunia gave a sickeningly sweet smile to Marco.  
"Have you met my Dudley yet?"  
Harry watched the exchange with blood in his mouth and an ache in his heart. It hadn't been a good thing. But now his friend was safe.


	3. Letters, Owls, and... More Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abuse warning, but he's with the Dursleys. Until he went to Hogwarts, everyday of his life should've had a warning. Hari kind of 'finds out' his wizarding heritage...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Thanks for leaving kudos on my first work. And shout out to HELGHASTMAJOR for being brave and leaving the first comment. Y'all get a chapter for Christmas. I won't usually be able to update this often, but what the heck? It's y'alls Christmas present. If you don't celebrate Christmas, that's cool too! What holidays do you celebrate? Comment below!

Mr. H. Potter  
The Cupboard under the Stairs  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
SURREY

Harry stared at the letter in his hands. This couldn't be real. Who would write to him? And nobody knew where he slept.  
"Boy, get that mail quick!" Uncle Vernon's voice startled him out of his paralyzed state. He quickly slid his letter under the door of his cupboard.

"Coming, Uncle Vernon!" Harry hurried with the mail. He would investigate later. But right now, he would be smart by playing dumb. He passed the mail to his uncle and sped into the kitchen.

"Stupid boy! What took you so long? Nevermind, just get to work!" Aunt Petunia screeched at him. Harry, glad he hadn't had to come up with an excuse, kept his mouth shut as he started the coffee machine and cooked the bacon. Dudley, meanwhile, kept moaning and holding his stomach like he was as starved as Harry. But he had a right to. Harry had been dragging his feet the entire morning, and Aunt Petunia hit his shoulder with a frying pan, causing him to burn himself, but it didn't matter. Harry picked up the pace. He finally had breakfast on the table, and the blond family pigged out while he washed up. He wasn't allowed to eat unless Petunia said he was, and Petunia was still mad at him for messing with her bush a few days ago. It made her give him lighter chores though, so he was grateful for that.  
"Boy, I need more coffee before work!"  
Harry sighed. This might be a long day.

«–»

Harry snuck a peak through his cupboard shutters, seeing nothing but darkness. Good. He could finally open his letter. Turning on the small, flickering lamp he had, he broke the seal of the letter and began to read:  
"Dear Mr. Hari Potter-"  
Harry put it down for a second. Whoever wrote this letter had spelled his name wrong! Harry was not a hard name to spell. With a frown on his face, he picked the letter back up and continued reading.  
"Dear Mr. Hari Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..."  
By the time Harry was done reading the letter, he had not only figured out that whoever this McGonagall was, they were bonkers, but he also knew this was a prank letter. Magic wasn't real.  
And even though he didn't like how she would react when he said the m-word, he had to tell someone, and Aunt Petunia would handle a prank letter much better than Uncle Vernon.  
Although, Harry was still absolutely, totally, and utterly screwed.


	4. Not a Prank

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am taking the advice of the ONLY person who comments, HELGHASTMAJOR.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Abuse warning. And this time Vernon gets involved.

Harry desperately needed to eat. He wished he could have a tiny sip of water. But he couldn't, as he had gone and screwed it all up.  
Harry was sentenced to his cupboard for a week straight. He was allowed out for ten minutes to go to the bathroom each day. Other than that, he was stuck in the cramped, dark, spider infested space. The reason why, of course, being that stupid prank letter. He had accidentally dropped it in front of Uncle Vernon on his way to tell Petunia. Harry winced as he sat up, his back aching due to the welts Vernon had placed there. It was not the worst beating he had received, and there were no broken bones, thank the heavens, but it was followed by the longest cupboard punishment he ever had.  
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Aunt Petunia stopped the vacuum cleaner and rushed to get it. Harry watched from the small peephole he had in the cupboard door. She opened it, but gasped in horror. Harry adjusted himself so he could see the person at the door, wondering why his Aunt Petunia would be scared by a guest.  
"May I come in?" A tall blond man stood politely in the doorway. He had long hair, and was wearing what looked fancy silk wizard robes. Harry shook his head. That was a ridiculous comparison. Petunia nodded subconsciously in answer, always the perfect hostess. He stepped inside and Petunia closed the door behind him, still gaping like a fish. "Is this the Dursleys residence?" Petunia nodded quickly. Harry could see why she had been frightened. His aunt didn't particularly like anything out the ordinary, and this man was anything but ordinary.  
Harry loved it.  
"Are you one of them?" She asked, slightly taken aback by her own boldness. Harry spied a glint of silver, and he squinted to see what it was. He realized it was an old fashioned black walking stick. The handle, a pretty silver snake's head, seemed to grin at him, but he blinked and it was gone. He was being very silly. He was brought back to the conversation by the man's confused tone.  
"Them?" Now that Harry thought about it, that had been a strange question, and Aunt Petunia didn't ask strange questions. The man seemed to understand all at once, but Harry was still out of the loop. "Oh. You're a muggle, aren't you? Well, yes." Harry didn't know what a muggle was, but the way the man said it made it sound like a horrible thing to call someone. He immediately agreed with the man.  
"Why are you here?"   
"As a governor of Hogwarts, it is my duty to visit the houses of students who have read but not yet replied to their letters. Where is Mr. Potter?" Harry shut the peephole quickly and laid down, barely registering the pain of his injuries hitting the hard and moth eaten mattress. He was going to be in so much trouble. Even though it wasn't technically his prank, when the m-word was involved everything was Harry's fault. He may be allowed to eat a little so he could do harder chores, but that seemed unlikely.  
"Not here," Petunia lied. She wasn't as afraid as she seemed, then. The man's voice hardened and his tone was much more stern, almost scary.  
"Oh, so you wouldn't mind if I did a tracking spell to find him then? This is important." Without an answer from Petunia, Harry became a bit worried, but didn't dare move. If he didn't move, the man could not find him without a real tracking device, and tracking spells weren't real. This was all an elaborate prank. "Homenum Revelio." Was that... Latin? It almost felt like something was swooping over him, but then it was gone and Harry mentally berated himself for even having a shred of hope. "Alohomora."  
The cupboard was flooded with light.  
Harry sat up, wincing at both the pain in his back and at the sudden overwhelming light. The man seemed concerned, but Harry was pretty much numb to it, considering the he was holding a wand and had just unlocked his cupboard without a key.  
"Mr. Potter?" Harry nodded hesitantly, surprised and confused by his aunt's silence. She glowered at him and he flinched away. "I'm Lord Malfoy. I've come to see if you've accepted Hogwarts's offer," the apparent Lord said with a much warmer tone than when he was talking to Petunia.  
"Hello Mr. Lord Malfoy sir," Harry said politely, wincing at how weak and broken his voice sounded. "It wasn't a prank?" Mr. Malfoy's eyes narrowed.  
"No, it very much isn't, dear boy. But this better be." The blond shot a glare at the surprisingly silent Petunia, who looked absolutely terrified.  
Yet for once, Harry was not afraid.


	5. Escape?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote. It was very hard. I will have a better chapter up soon. I'm tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No abuse! Yay! But if course, Harry is really anxious because he has been abused. And as much as I love Malfoy custody fics, I wanted to do something else. Also this chapter is written from 'Lord Malfoy's' point of view. Thank you all for the lovely comments! Enjoy.

Lucius led the young boy out of the cupboard, absolutely furious about his treatment, and even more so when the boy winced at a few movements. Hari had been severely malnourished, and most likely beaten. After taking another glance at Hari, he could tell immediately that this was no trick, no matter how much he wanted it to be. When he had been elected to go check on Mr. Potter, he expected nothing less than Hari being the spoiled boy his father was.  
This was an outrage.  
Lucius stood up, holding the boy's hand and glaring at that filth on the wall, Mrs. Dursley.  
"Say goodbye Hari," he said. The woman's eyes widened. She tried to protest, but thanks to his silencing spell, she couldn't even squawk. His gaze softened and shifted to Hari when he felt a tug on his hand. Hari was looking down, but Lucius could still see a hint of pink on his cheeks.  
"Does that mean I get to escape? And I never have to come back?" Lucius melted and crouched down in front of Hari.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. You are a wizard, you know." Hari looked up and smiled like he had forgotten that little fact. Lucius saw some slight hesitation in his face and briefly wondered what it was for. Then Hari hugged him tightly. Lucius hugged him back softly, as he knew his strength far surpassed that of an eleven year old and he was trying not to hurt Hari further. Hari broke the hug.

"If I'm not going to be with Petunia and Vernon and Dudley, where will I be?" Lucius frowned a bit. This was an even bigger issue than it may have seemed to Hari, because while muggles may have done things one way, the wizarding world did things quite differently.  
"I don't exactly know, but I know people who will. Hold on tight to me, this might feel a little weird." Hari grabbed his hand and Lucius apparated them to his mansion. Hari doubled over, but didn't heave or vomit like Lucius expected. Instead, his mouth opened and a tiny blue frog popped out into his hands. Hari's eyes widened comically and he looked up at the older man.  
"Did I...?" Lucius chuckled, nodding. Then he remembered why they were here and stood up straight, but made sure to keep Hari (who was now poking at the frog and trying to see if it was real, to which the frog was reacting indignantly) in his line of vision.  
"Tix!" Hari looked up and jumped back when the house elf appeared. Tix barely glanced at Hari, despite his celebrity status. Tix never asked questions, which is why she was one of the Lord's favorites. "Can you take Hari to meet Draco? I have a few letters to write to see where he will be living."

«–»

A few hours, breaks, fireplace calls, and way too many letters later, Lucius only had one more letter to write.  
"Mr. Remus Lupin..."


	6. We Could Be Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is from Hari's point of view and starts with when Hari apparated to the manor with Lucius.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has some wizarding stuff, so Hari is *finally* being properly introduced into the wizarding world. Also, was it necessary for me to dedicate so many words to the little blue frog? 1000% no. Did I do it without any regrets whatsoever? 1000% yes. I'm sorry it's up so late. I had a MAJOR case of writer's block.

Harry gripped Lord Malfoy's hand as a strange feeling came over him, like he was going through a skin tight rubber tube. He felt kind of sick, and as soon as the ground appeared underneath him, he doubled over, expecting that he would vomit. Instead, Harry opened his mouth and a little blue frog popped out into his hands. He stared at it curiously. Realizing that it was the m- no, magic, he looked up at Lord Malfoy with wide eyes.  
"Did I...?" His voice trailed off as he realized that he didn't even know exactly what he did. Harry was reassured by the older man's nod. Dropping his gaze back down to the frog, he poked it gently to see if it was real. He had never seen a blue frog before. The frog hopped away from his probing finger and glared at him like it was offended. Well, he hadn't meant to hurt its feelings. Harry looked up as Lord Malfoy decided to speak. "Tix!" Harry was startled by the seemingly nonsensical word coming from such a sophisticated man. He flinched back slightly as a strange creature appeared, perhaps two feet tall, with bat-like ears and big blue eyes. For some reason, it was wearing a pillowcase, though it was clean and had been been fitted with white ribbons. "Can you take Harry to meet Draco? I have a few more letters to write to see he will be living." "Certainly sir. Young one, you is to follow Tix. I will take care of that." The creature had a serious look on their face as they took the blue frog, not seeming at all used to smiling. Harry sent a glance at Lord Malfoy, but he only nodded in reply, so Harry followed the strange creature, the 'Tix' the older man had been speaking of. Tix appeared to be female, based on their long eyelashes and the way the pillowcase they wore had a lacy hem, although Harry couldn't assume, especially since in other species, gender could work much different. Harry had learned from a library book that starfish were born male or female, but could change their gender whenever they liked. And gender expression wasn't the same as gender itself. "Young one, watch for the trick stair." Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and avoided the trap by stepping over it, but wondered why someone would do that in the first place. "Thank you Tix." Tix gave him what seemed like a smile, but it was much too wide and had way too many teeth, like the one Petunia had when visitors came for tea. Still, they were trying, and Harry smiled back fondly at the attempt, even though it did remind him of his Aunt. "There is nothing to be thanking Tix for. You are a guest of the Malfoy's, and Tix is not wanting to see you hurt." Harry nodded gratefully, and they continued walking in silence through the stylish home. Harry noticed quite a lot of green and silver detailing, but it did go well together, and the numerous amount of mirrors and windows on the walls made it seem even bigger and lighter than it was. None of the curtains were closed, so Harry was able to catch glimpses of a beautiful garden. "You is arrived. Goodbye, young one." They had stopped in front of a beautiful, dark wooden door, with a snake scale pattern carved into it. Harry turned to thank Tix, but was met with only empty air. Oh, he loved magic. Time to meet Draco. Harry knocked on the door.


	7. Dragons and Drawing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hari meets Draco and figures out where he's meant to be. Switching perspectives, but mostly Draco's and the point of view of Remus.

Draco jumped up, confused as to why someone would knock on his door. The house elves just appeared in his room, Mother was running a quick errand, and Father was away on Governor's business. When he opened the door, though, he didn't expect a small boy with tan skin and black messy hair. The boy's head shot up, and the first thing Draco noticed was his bright green eyes that contrasted with the rest of his appearance. He decided not to comment, though.  
"Hello," he greeted, "who are you?" His Mother had taught him to not ask that, but he thought in this situation it'd be okay, especially since he greeted the boy first.  
"H-hi. I'm Hari. Hari Potter. Your father wanted me to meet you. You're Draco, right?" Draco's eyes widened. Hari Potter? He composed himself, pushing his curiousity to the back of his mind.  
"Correct. Is my Father here? Actually, just come inside." He held the door open for Hari, his mind swimming with all the questions he couldn't bury in his memory. Hari hesitantly stepped inside. His eyes lit up in awe, and Draco couldn't help but smile through his confusion. "Your eyes are really pretty." Draco turned red as Hari whipped his gaze to him. Why did he have to say that? And worse, why did he have to say the word 'pretty' like that? Draco could list more men and boys that would take that as an insult rather than a compliment. Hari reached up to adjust his glasses.  
"You really think so?" Harry asked. He had never really gotten a compliment before, and had just tended to think he was ugly. Draco nodded, a blush on his face. "Thanks. That's very nice of you." The embarrassed tensity of Draco's body seemed to melt away.  
"So. What kind of games do you like?"

«–»

After figuring out that Hari didn't seem to know many games, and Draco was much too impatient to teach him, they had settled on hide and seek. Obviously, Draco was winning-   
"Gotcha again, Dragon!"   
Or not. Draco furrowed his eyebrows.  
"How'd you know my name means Dragon?" Hari grinned.  
"Oh, Mrs. Figg had an old Latin book in her house and let me try and learn when I came to visit." Draco shook his head.  
"Up for another round?"   
"You're on!"

«–»

Remus wasn't very fatherly. But when he was informed of Hari's state, he immediately apparated to the Malfoy Manor, no regard for past rivalries in his mind.  
"Ah, Mr. Lupin. Thank you for coming quickly. Please, step inside." Remus did, and without hesitation. This was the matter of his little Hari. Though, not as little anymore, he supposed.  
"How'd you come across Hari?" Remus asked once they were seated. He tried not to fidget. Lucius didn't seem surprised; he knew how direct Remus was when it came to serious matters.  
"The School Governor checkup. Hari had read his letter, but there was no reply. I was sent, as everyone else was busy." Remus leaned closer.  
"What is to be done with him?" Lucius nodded approvingly at the question.  
"That is why I've called you here. I believe, after much consideration and research, you would be the best fit to raise Hari." Remus opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. He would get to raise Hari? "Of course, the Board of Governors will be offering financial support, and a new housing situation can be arranged it there is need." Lucius didn't shame him at all with this statement. He had definitely changed.  
"Yes! Yes, please. I- I mean- Can I see him?"


	8. Friends with a Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After everything is settled, Remus meets Hari and Narcissa. Basically Remus being awkward around Lucius. And Narcissa. And Hari. And... pretty much everyone. Yeah. Sorry it's short, but it's also late.

Remus watched as the Malfoy boy taught Hari to fly. Even when he had hated the Malfoy family, he knew they were good on a broom, even though the boy's grip was wrong. And... Remus didn't hate the Malfoys anymore. Their rivalry was childish, and the Malfoy family seemed... Much more kind. They had been through war, and come out losing, and yet... This seemed to strengthen them, make them better people. Remus spared a quick glance at Lucius, who was watching the boys with a fond smile on his face.  
"What's his name?" He asked. He turned pink as Malfoy's gaze switched to him. He quickly looked ahead, pretending he hadn't been staring at the older Malfoy. Pretending he couldn't feel his gaze.  
"Draco." Lucius - When did he start thinking of him as Lucius? Since he saved Hari, a little voice reminded him. The name had a thoughtful lilt to it.  
"They get along well," a smooth voice commented. Remus looked around and saw Narcissa walking towards them, her heels clacking against a marble path.

"That they do, ma'am." Remus could only vaguely remember Narcissa, as she was in the year below him, but she always seemed much kinder than her sister, and more sophisticated too. Even now she somehow managed to chuckle gracefully.  
"No need for all that ma'am business, Mr. Lupin. I am much too young for that." Remus nodded, smiling nervously, hoping he looked more confident than he felt. He could see his failure in the change of Narcissa's gaze, but as it had softened rather than hardened, he guessed his awkwardness was almost helping him.  
"Maybe you and Hari would like to come over again sometime," Lucius said smoothly. Remus was slightly taken aback at this. But Hari did seem to love Draco's company, and Remus would like to put their past behind them.  
"Thank you. We'll - I'll - We'll be sure to take you up on it." Narcissa shook her head, sighing so softly Remus almost missed it.  
"You have to meet the boy first, Mr. Lupin. Draco! Hari!" They whirled in midair, Draco nearly falling off his broom. He immediately flew up to them and dismounted, followed closely by Hari. Hari reminded Remus of James even more up close, and though there were traces of Lily in his straight hair and bright green eyes and rounded chin, he could almost be his old friend, eleven years old again.  
"Hari, this is my wife, Narcissa." Hari didn't seem sure on what he was supposed to do, but lucky for him he didn't have to decide. Narcissa swept him up in a secure, but quick hug. "And this is Remus Lupin, your new guardian and a friend to your parents."  
"You knew my parents?" Hari blurted. Remus smiled warmly.  
"Yes, yes I did. They were amazing people." Remus forced his smile to be more enthusiastic. "You look almost exactly like your father."


	9. Warming Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hari warms up to people through a series of time skips and flashbacks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning cause flashbacks, sorry for being so late. Also just to clarify, we use 'Hari' at times when Hari is aware of this spelling, or if a point of view is from a character who knows, and 'Harry' when he is not aware/tried to forget/was brainwashed into thinking 'Hari' was incorrect.

"You're so stupid, you can't even spell your name!" Petunia held up the crumpled Math worksheet from preschool that Dudley had managed to wrestle from Hari's hands. "You probably cheated, you lying snake!" Hari's vision blurred so he couldn't see the 'A' he had gotten, only red ink and a messy 'HARI' scrawled at the top of the page.  
"I didn't! And I spell my name just fine!" Petunia slapped him, making tears roll down his face. How foolish of him. He wasn't foolish enough anymore to cry out of scream, which made it better, but only slightly.  
"Stupid, stupid boy! H-A-R-R-Y! Why can't you just be normal like Dudley?!?"

«–»

Hari hesitantly scrawled his name on the door sign. Mr. Lupin looked on, smiling fondly as Hari spelled his name, H-A-R-I.  
"Mr. Lupin?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Thanks." 

«–»

Harry whimpered at the blows, his tears and blood mixing in a sticky, hot mess as the two fluids ran down his face and throat. His lips threatened to open as the mixture made them more and more slippery. He kept them shut, if only so he wouldn't make the ugly sobbing sounds Vernon wanted to hear from him.  
"You devil-freak! Trying to sneak food bought with my hard-earned money, ingrate?" Harry shook his head frantically, but only got cuffed again. Apparently that was the wrong thing to do. "Liar! Filthy weasel!"

«–»

Remus walked into the kitchen and Hari stuffed the rest of the roll into his mouth, turning away from his new guardian. He saw it anyway, however.  
"Aw, Hari, you could have just told me you were hungry. It's almost dinnertime anyway, I should get started." Hari grinned gratefully.  
"Remus?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Thanks."

«–»

"Why am I such a freak, Dudley?" The boy laughed at Harry's tears as he pulled his hair hard enough to yank his whole body.  
"My parents say you got it from your parents. Lazy, homeless, immoral drunks."  
"They were not!" Harry blurted indignantly. He shrank back as Dudley loomed over him with a grin on his face.  
"Oh, yeah?"

«–»

Remus and Hari were curled up on the couch, flipping through a leather scrapbook one of Remus's friends had made for him. Was it... Hogrid? Hari wasn't quite sure. Hari was snuggly pressed against his guardian's chest, but he didn't mind. In fact, he felt safer in the arms of Remus than in the arms of anyone else. Except perhaps Narcissa. She gave the best hugs.  
Remus paused on a page near the end of the book. Two teenagers, a redheaded girl and an Indian boy, were kissing and giggling under a sprig of mistletoe.  
"Those are your parents." Hari woke from his daydreams and studied the picture. There were obvious similarities between him and his father, but he had his mother's green eyes. Hari turned slightly so he could see his guardian's face.  
"What were they like?" Remus smiled, and when Hari looked, he could see that far off look in his eyes.  
"Lily was so kind and fair, but very fierce and stubborn when she wanted to be. She was so smart, the top of almost every class. She had this uncanny knack for figuring something -anything- out. Before she started dating James, I studied with her after full moons."  
"You told her?" Remus chuckled.  
"Yeah. But she knew before I told her. I'm surprised that half the school didn't find out. I was really bad at giving excuses."  
"What was my dad like?" Remus grinned.  
"He was my best friend. He was funny, great at pranks, dramatically optimistic, and surprisingly, he was the worried one most of the time. I think it came from his mom. He would invite the group over whenever he could, and when we got to his house we were spoiled. James liked Lily from the start."  
"But I thought she hated him?" Hari glanced back at the picture. "Or maybe not." Remus laughed brightly. "Remus?"  
"Yeah?" This was it. Deep Breath. Hari asked this next question very quickly.  
"Can I call you Uncle?" Remus grinned broadly.  
"I would like that very much."


	10. Train Station

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Real simple. Train station. I have nothing to say.

Hari hugged his Uncle Remus tightly. The transition was going to be very difficult, especially since he had just gotten used to a few nice people, and now he had to get used to an entire castle of people, many of whom would not be as sensitive. But he could always write to Remus, and Draco would be there too. Remus broke away.  
"Be brave, and write me as soon as you can. Ok?" Uncle asked, trying to tame Hari's wild hair. Hari laughed.  
"I will. But I gotta go now, and so do you. You don't want to be late to your job interview." His Uncle's eyes widened and he waved quickly and apparated. Hari shook his head and pulled his stuff to the loading area. Now, if only he could get his luggage up. Unfortunately, one of the more lasting effects of... Privet Drive... was that he was super short and skinny for his age. But since the luggage carrier was helping someone else, he tried to lift his first suitcase by himself. He was struggling, quite badly, actually, but two pairs of hands joined him and easily lifted the luggage. A moment later, and the three had all of his stuff on the train.  
"Woah there, be careful!" Hari looked up at a set of redhead twins.  
"Yeah, are you helping your older sibling or something?" Hari chuckled to himself.  
"No, I'm eleven, I'm just real short. Thanks for helping me." The two grinned at him mischievously.  
"No problem."  
"I'm Fred," the one on the right said.  
"And I'm George."  
"I'm Hari. Nice to meet the two of you." Hari tried to see a difference between the two. Fred had slightly bigger eyes, he realized. That was good, at least he'd be able to tell them apart.  
"Well, we better get going. Nice to meet you too, Hari." Fred dragged George towards the end of the train, where it seemed a lot of the older kids were gathering.

Hari hesitantly started towards the front of the train. He didn't want to accidentally break a rule he didn't know about. He soon saw the huge crowd at the front of the train. Soon he saw a familiar trio and rushed towards them.  
"Mr. Malfoy! Miss Narcissa! Draco!" Wow, they certainly sounded weird all in line like that. But he was being as polite as he could without being cold. Miss Narcissa and Draco have him a hug, and Mr. Malfoy offered him a warm handshake. Hari could sense that he was nervous, so he 'accidentally' turned his hand so that Mr. Malfoy's was slightly on top. Mr. Malfoy liked being in control. His gaze softened as he looked down at Hari.  
"Hari! We've got to get on the train!" Draco didn't seem nervous. He was just his usual impatient self. It was endearing in a way.  
"Yes, yes, you best be off, but make sure to write." Miss Narcissa was acting a bit more formal than usual, but they were in public, that was normal for the Malfoys.  
"And that counts for both of you." Mr. Malfoy tried to sound stern, but the warmth he felt for the children was apparent. Hari found himself grinning.  
"Goodbye, sir. Goodbye, Miss," Hari barely managed before Draco dragged him onto the train. "You'll miss them later, you know." Draco waved a hand dismissively.  
"Yes, of course, but that's for later. Now, we're going to find a compartment."


	11. What in the World is a Weasley?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Hari meets a few Weasels, but I won't tell you any more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm currently able to do this on a computer, so all the formatting might look nicer, but I dunno. (This is my first work, so I'm still trying to figure things out.) And I'm sorry about the wait. No excuses, just moving forward.

Hari was mostly able to convince Draco that they did not need a train compartment with ten other people for the impatient boy to bounce between. However, Draco conceded only because he told Hari that there must be at least three other people in the compartment. Draco was kind of desperate for company, but Hari found it endearing, so he didn't even try to bargain.

"Hey, give it back Flint!" Hari and Draco locked eyes and nodded. They took their wands out and quietly approached the compartment. They both peered around the corner, and saw a young redheaded boy reaching for his wand, which was in the hand of a much older boy who had his back to them. 'Flint' twirled the wand in his hand, just out of reach.  
"You haven't got a wand to hex me with, and even if you did you wouldn't be able to do anything. You're just a dumb little firstie. If I broke this wand, you'd have to go home. Your bunch of blood-traitors can't afford another, can they?" By now, Hari's blood was boiling. He brought his wand up, and Draco quickly mirrored him.  
"We've still got our wands," Draco said, his voice impressively steady. Hari had spent enough time with him to know he was scared. Flint turned around and stalked towards them, looking Draco in the eye. Hari snuck around Flint.  
"Which one's yours?" He whispered. The redhead pointed.  
"You're a Malfoy. A Malfoy, sticking up for this blood-traitor? Ha!" Flint leaned towards Draco, who had shrunk back ever so slightly. Hari grabbed the two wands out of Flint's hand, giving one to the redhead immediately. Flint whirled around. "Why, you little shit!" Hari threw the wand out the window, grabbed both Draco and the unknown boy's hands and ducked around Flint, taking off. They ran until they could no longer hear loud cursing, then ducked into an empty compartment. Hari was out of breath, but the others were out of breath for a different reason than running.  
"I can't believe... you threw his wand... out the window," Draco said in between laughs. Hari felt the heat rise in his face.  
"It was the first thing I thought of!"  
"Whatever it was mate, that was bloody brilliant. I mean, the both of you were." The redhead grew sheepish and rubbed his arm. "I mean, thanks." Draco was staring intently at him, but Hari didn't know what to do about it. He could tell it was bugging the boy, but Draco... was Draco.  
"Aha! You're a Weasley!"   
"What in the world is a Weasley?" Harry couldn't help but blurt out. The other boys glanced at each other and dissolved into another fit of laughter.  
"Weasley is my last name. Ron's my first," Ron said once he had recovered. Hari scrunched his nose in confusion.  
"Why did Draco know that and not me?" Draco rolled his eyes.  
"Because you, dear Hari, are oblivious and don't pay attention." Draco said fondly. Hari stuck his tongue out at him.  
Suddenly, two people rushed into the compartment and locked the door behind them.  
"We're safe."  
"Bet?"


	12. Ickle Malfoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No excuses. I'm just bad at updating.

The redheaded twins Hari had met earlier had run into the compartment. Ron had crossed his arms, and now Hari could see the resemblance between them. The twins had changed into the uniform, complete with Gryffindor ties and crests.   
“Hello Fred. Hello George.” Hari shook hands with them both, a grin on his face. Ron blinked at him, and Draco nudged him. “What?”  
“You can tell us apart.” The twins said in unison. Hari blinked.  
“Well, yeah-”  
“When did you even meet?” Ron interrupted, confused. Draco nodded. The twins grinned widely.  
“Ickle Ronnie!”  
“We were just-”  
“At the luggage compartment-”  
“When Ickle Hari-”  
“Was struggling with-”  
“His trunk.”   
“We-” Draco held up his hand. He rubbed his temple, and Ron was shaking his head. Hari didn’t know how to react.  
“That’s enough. I think we can piece it together.” Hari smirked at the exhausted look on Draco’s face. Fred and George glanced at each other, then looked back at Draco.  
“Well, well, well. Ickle Malfoy!” Hari couldn’t help it this time. The look of pure embarrassment and fury on Draco’s face... Hari burst into laughter. Ron let out a chuckle poorly disguised as a cough, and Draco threw up his hands in disbelief. He shoved Hari onto the seat on the right side of the compartment.  
“Idiot,” he muttered.   
“Well, Ickle Malfoy, we have the required amount of people in the compartment.” Hari scrambled away from Draco, who shot him a murderous glare. Draco huffed and sat down next to Hari, his arms folded but his posture ramrod straight. Ron settled on the other side of Hari, and the twins plopped down on the other side of the compartment.  
“Required amount of people?” Draco blushed a bright red.  
“NOTHING.” The reply didn’t make any sense, and it startled a girl who had just opened the compartment. She jumped back from the door, and Draco blushed even brighter. The girl straightened her tie.  
“I’m Hermione, and a boy named Neville has lost a toad. Have any of you seen it?” She had the same glint of ambition in her eye that Hari saw in Draco when he talked about being the top of the class. Hari liked her already.  
“We haven’t. Has anyone tried Accio yet?”


End file.
